Lamp socket



April 11, 1967 H. GABRIELIAN LAMP SOCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1964 FIG. 1.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. HENRY GABRIELIAN AGENT April 11, 1957 H. GABRIELIAN 3,

LAMP SOCKET Filed March 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HENRY GABRIELIAN BY mm,

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United States Patent 3,314,042 LAMP SOCKET Henry Gabrielian, Santa Ana, Calif., assignor to Electronic Engineering Co. of California, Santa Ana, Calif, a corporation of California Filed Mar. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 349,396 11 Claims. (Cl. 339-126) My invention relates to an electric lamp socket and particularly to such a socket for subminiature electric lamps having a simple base.

In electronic apparatus illuminating lamps are frequently employed to indicate the status of an electrical circuit to an operator. This may simply indicate whether a power circuit is turned on or off, or it may indicate the voltage level of the output of a flip-flop circuit. A plurality of lamps are often required to indicate the respective status of each of a plurality of flip-flops or similar circuits. 1

With the growing complexity of electronic apparatus, miniaturization has become the order of the day. Subminiature lamps may be as small as A" in diameter and /4" long and may have simplified base structures. While my socket may be fabricated in any size whatsoever, it fills a need in the subminiature field that has heretofore often been satisfied only by soldering directly to the terminals of the lamp. The disadvantage of this construction is evident when replacement is required within the usual cramped quarters.

I form my lamp socket by forming an aperture in an insulating member, such as the card or board containing the rest of the circuit involved. Upon one side of the insulating member a stationary contact is fastened. This contact has an aperture smaller than and coaxially aligned with the aperture in the insulating member.

The typical lamp has a cylindrical outer contact with a rim of larger diameter at the base end. The cylindrical outer contact fits into the aperture in the insulating memher and is restrained from passing completely therethrough by the engagement of the rim of the lamp base with the smaller aperture of the stationary contact.

The typical lamp also has a button second contact centrally located upon the bottom of the base. In order to retain the lamp in the apertures previousiy disclosed it is necessary to provide a force urging the rim of the lamp base against the smaller aperture of the stationary contact. This is provided according to my invention by a leaf spring acting upon a hinged flap. The latter also acts as the second contact of the socket and presses against the button second contact of the lamp base.

An object of my invention is to provide a socket for a lamp having a simple base.

Another object is to provide a socket having simple parts, which parts simultaneously perform mechanical and electrical socket functions.

Another object is to provide a socket which enables easy replacement of the lamp within a small surrounding space.

Another object is to provide a socket which is adapted to the construction of the circuit with whigh it is associated, as an etched circuit upon an insulating board.

Other objects will become apparent upon reading the following detailed specification and upon examining the accompanying drawings, in which are set forth by way 3,314,042 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 of illustration and example certain embodiments of my invention.

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of the socket,

FIG. 2 shows a sectional elevation of the socket along the center line 2-2 in FIG. 1, with an installed lamp shown dotted,

FIG. 3 shows a bottom plan view of the socket,

FIG. 4 shows a plurality of four lamps and sockets, as may be employed to indicate the status of respective parts of a multiple electrical circuit,

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged sectional elevation of the socket along line 2-2 in FIG. 1, without an installed lamp,

FIG. 6 shows a fragment of FIG. 5 with the flap contact open, and

FIG. 7 shows a side elevation view of FIG. 4 seen from the left side.

While there is no restriction as to the size of my socket, FIGS. 1-3 are approximately five times full size of a typical embodiment, while FIG. 4 is approximately full slze.

In the several figures numeral 1 indicates an insulating member. This may be formed of an epoxy-impregnated fiberglass or an equivalent insulating substance having good electrical insulating properties and typically stiff but non-brittle mechanical qualities. A round aperture 2 is drilled or punched in member 1 at the point where the lamp is to be positioned. Stationary sheet metal contact 3 is provided, having an aperture smaller than aperture 2. This aperture 16 is sufficiently large to allow the cylindrical part 4 of the outer metal base of lamp 5 to pass through it, but it is not large enough to allow rim 6 of the lamp base to pass through. The lamp is thus held firmly in place when pushed up from the bottom in FIG. 2 and there is a force supplied upon the lower part of the lamp base tending to urge it upward.

Within the stern part of stationary contact 3, two eyelets 7 and 8 are inserted through appropriate holes in both the contact and the insulating member. These are oriented so that the apertures of the contact and of the insulating member are concentric. It is understood that one eyelet or rivet could be used instead of two.

As shown, a metallic electrical connection 9 extends under contact 3 and beyond, to connect that contact to an external circuit of the remainder of the insulating member, typically. Connection 9 is normally formed upon the insulating member by known printed or etched circuit techniques at the same time as numerous other such connections are formed for the associated electrical circuit upon the same member. Such circuits may contain transistors and other electronic components in exemplary applications.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, leaf spring 11 is fastened to the left underside of insulating member 1 by eyelet 12. The leaf spring has two upward-going projections 14 and 15. These enter small holes 16 and 17 in insulating member 1. This structure prevents spring 11 rotating out of proper position at the time of installation and during use. The extreme free end of leaf spring 11 is formed into an upwardly extending hook 18.

A flap contact 19 is arranged to hinge under leaf spring 11. It is provided with a rectangular aperture 20 through which hook 18 passes. Flap contact 19 extends all the way to projections 14 and 15 of the leaf spring in the showing of FIG. 3. These extensions are of sufficient length that one position of stable equilibrium is the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The other position of stable equilibrium is shown dotted in FIG. 2 at 19". The latter position allows lamp 5 to be easily removed, while the first-mentioned position urges lamp base 4 upwards, thus making proper mechanical and electrical contact with stationary contact 3 at rim 6. Between these two positions leaf spring 11 is stressed to a greater degree and so the flap contact tends to assume either one or the other positions of stable equilibrium.

Flap 19 is provided with an eyelet 21, which centers over button contact 22 of the base of the lamp. This provides a specific projection on the flap for making the electrical contact. It also prevents the free lip of flap 19 from possibly contacting the cylindrical outer contact of the lamp base, which contact would establish a short circuit. The free lip of flap 19 is bent downward as shown at 26 to provide a finger-hold for the flap, making it easy to lift the same with the finger'nail or with the end of the finger.

The leaf spring and the flap contact may be formed from beryllium copper or an equivalent spring material having relatively good electrical conductivity.

A second connection 24 is formed upon insulating member 1 in the same way as was described for the first connection 9. The second connection is on the under side of member 1 and extends to the left instead of to the right as did connection 9. Connection 24 preferably extends completely under the leaf spring and beyond to underneath flap contact 19. Then the left extension of flap contact 19 makes electrical contact directly to con nection 24. Leaf spring 11 supplies the mechanical force to maintain the stable equilibrium in the socket-closed position and a shunt electrical path between connection 24 and contact 19.

In an alternative construction where insulating member 1 has electrical paths printed on only One side, connection 24 must be positioned on the top thereof and away from stationary contact 3. The second electrical connection for the socket is then made through eyelet 12, from the top to the bottom of member 1 and to leaf spring 11, thence to flap contact 19.

In FIG. 4 a plurality of lamps 31, 32, 33, 34 are shown mounted in a single insulating member 1'. Typically, this may be at the front of member 1', in the central area of which would be found electronic components (not shown), such as resistors, capacitors, transistors and so on, and at the rear of member 1 might be found a set of contacts 36' suited to engage a female plug connecting to external circuits. Four flap contacts 19', four leaf springs 11' and four stationary contacts 3, having to do with the sockets are shown in a row vertically.

How the two contacts to each socket are connected depends upon the particular nature of the circuit to which these are connected. In one arrangement all of one type of contact are connected together, as by connection 35 to all contacts 3', and to a common energizing source of electricity, with the other contacts 11' each connecting to a separate part of the whole circuit involved.

Alternately, each pair of socket contacts (as 3' and 11') connect individually to a separate electrical circuit normally disposed upon the insulating member 1.

Modifications may be made in the size, proportions, shape and relative relations of the elements in the illustrative embodiments shown without departing from the scope of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention and the manner in which it is to be practiced, I claim:

1. A lamp socket comprising;

(a) an insulating member having an aperture,

(b) a substantially flat stationary contact attached to one side of said member,

(c) said stationary contact having a lamp-receiving aperture smaller than and concentric with the aperture in said insulating member,

(d) a leaf spring attached to the other side of said member,

(e) a flap contact hinged under said leaf spring to have stable equilibrium by minimum deformation of said leaf spring when said fiap is against said insulating member to hold a lamp within said aperture by bearing upon a contact of said lamp, and

(f) to also have stable equilibrium again by minimum deformation of said leaf spring when said flap contact 15 disposed at an angle greater than a right angle away from the previously described position to allow said lamp to be removed from said aperture in said insulating member.

2. The lamp socket of claim 1 in which;

(a) said stationary contact is attached to said insulating member laterally away from said aperture therein, and

(b) said leaf spring is attached to said insulating member farther laterally away from said aperture therein.

3. The lamp socket of claim 1 in which;

(a) said stationary contact and said leaf spring are separately attached to said insulating member by at least one eyelet apiece passing therethrough relatively near and end of each and through said insulating member.

4. The lamp socket of claim 3 which additionally includes;

(a) a first connection attached to said insulating member contacting said stationary contact, and

(b) a second connection attached to said insulating member contacting said leaf spring.

5. The lamp socket of claim 4 in which;

(a) a first eyelet passes through said insulating member, said first connection and said stationary contact, and

(b) a second eyelet passes through said insulating member, said second connection and said leaf spring.

6. The lamp socket of claim 1 which additionally includes;

(a) a first connection attached to said insulating member contacting said stationary contact, and

(b) a second connection attached to said insulating member contacting said flap contact.

7. The lamp socket of claim 1 in which;

(a) an eyelet is attached to said fiap contact to make electrical connection tho said contact of said lamp,

(b) said eyelet projecting from the surface of said flap contact to hold said flap contact away from the lamp contact connecting to said stationary contact of said socket.

8. The lamp socket of claim 1 in which;

(a) said leaf spring has a hook at its free end,

(b) siai-d flap contact has an aperture at its hinged end,

(c) said hook retains said flap contact to said leaf spring by the engagement of said hook into said aperture.

9. The lamp socket of claim 1 in which;

(a) said leaf spring has a projection at each side of its free end, and

(b) said insulating member has a hole under each said projection into which a projection slide fits to retain said leaf spring in position upon said insulating member.

10. A plurality of lamp sockets according to claim 1 disposed upon a single insulating member which additionally includes;

(a) a conductor upon said insulating member directly connecting one contact of each said lamp socket one to the other.

11. A plurality of lamp sockets according to claim 1 disposed upon a single insulating member which additionally includes;

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1925 Schmid 339220 4/1929 Griflith et a1. 339126 6 4/1934 Jackson ct a1 339259 2/1935 Faile 339-259 7/1955 Schloetzer 339255 2/1958 Woofter 33917 FOREIGN PATENTS 9/1963 France.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED S. TRASK, Examiner. 

1. A LAMP SOCKET COMPRISING; (A) AN INSULATING MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE, (B) A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT STATIONARY CONTACT ATTACHED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID MEMBER, (C) SAID STATIONARY CONTACT HAVING A LAMP-RECEIVING APERTURE SMALLER THAN AND CONCENTRIC WITH THE APERTURE IN SAID INSULATING MEMBER, (D) A LEAF SPRING ATTACHED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID MEMBER, (E) A FLAP CONTACT HINGED UNDER SAID LEAF SPRING TO HAVE STABLE EQUILIBRIUM BY MINIMUM DEFORMATION OF SAID LEAF SPRING WHEN SAID FLAP IS AGAINST SAID INSULATING MEMBER TO HOLD A LAMP WITHIN SAID APERTURE BY BEARING UPON A CONTACT OF SAID LAMP, AND 